Improvement in water-proof mail-bags



UNITED STATEs'PATENT Genion. i

JAMES MJARRE'IT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-PROOF MAIL-BAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59.22S, dated October E0, 1866.

To di whom it may concern:

Be it `known that I, JAMES M. JARRETT, of Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tater-Proof and Buoyant Mail and Express Bags 5 and I- do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a vertical section of my improved mail and express bag, taken through the line a' x, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top end .view of the same, the jaws being open. Fig. 3 represents the bag iioating in water, the false bottoni being opened or raised.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. l

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved mail and express bag so constructed and arranged that it will be waterproof, will. be sufliciently buoyant to oat in water even when filled with mail or express matter, and which is provided with a false bottom, which may be elevated when the bag is thrown into the water to serve as a signal to render the position of the bag distinguishable when floating; and it consists, iirst, of the combination of grooves, ridges, and rubber packing with the metallic jaws of the bag, so constructed and arranged that the projecting ridges of the one jaw shall press upon the rubber packing embedded inthe grooves of the other -jaw and render the iiigress ot' water through the jaws impossible; second, in the combination, with the bottom or lower part of the bag, of a pocket filled with cork shavin gs orequivalent of sufficient buoyancy to oatcthe bag when filled with mail or express matter; third, in the combination, with the bottom or lower part of the bag, of a false bottom, which may be raised or opened when the bag is thrown into the water, for the purpose of rendering the bag more distinguishable and moreeasily found and recovered.

A is the outer cover of the bag, which is made of the ordinary material used for such purposes. This outer cover A is secured, at the bottom of the bag, to a metallic frame, B,

as shown in Fig. l, and .at the top of the bag to the lmetallic jaws C and D, in the ordinary manner. The jaws O and D are hinged to each other. In the drawings they are represented as bein g connected with narrow hinges 5 but I prefer to make the hinges of the same width as the breadth of the arms of the jaws towhich said hinges are attached. These jaws C and D mav beheld together by springs and catches E, and secured by a lock in the ordinary manner.

Around the entire outer and inner edges of the jaw C are formed grooves F, and also around 4each of the holes through which the catches, springs, or bolts pass is formed a similar groove. In these grooves is embedded a rubber packing, G, as shown in Figs. .l and 2. Around the outer and inner edges of the jaw D, and around each of the holes for the passage of the bolts, springs or catches for securing the bag, are formed ridges H, exactly corresponding in position to the position of the grooves F, which, when the bag is closed, press upon the rubber packing G. This construction renders the ingress ot' water through the jaws C and D to the bag impossible.

I is an india-rubber bag, t-he mouth of which is secured to the jaw C by rubber cement in such a position as to cover the inner or lower groove, F, and the packing G in said groove, and to the lower edge of the jaw D in such a 'position that its upper edge shall be just below the ridge H, which surrounds the inner edge of the said jaw D.

By this construction and arrangement of the ridges, grooves, packing, and rubber lining or bag I guard against having two rubber surfaces pressed together, which, when the Weather is warm or when the bag is kept in a warm place, might adh'ere to cach other and tear or injure the lining or packing, and thus render the bag no longer water-proof, for in every case I have the rubber pressed between two metallic surfaces.

The rubber lining or bag I should be of such a size as to loosely ll the bag A, so that when the bag has been filled with mail or express matter no strain may come upon the lining I. To still further securethe lining I from injury I place within the bag I a bag or lining made of some non-elastic m-aterial, which may receive the strain ot' the contents of the bag. The upper edge of this lining is secured to the jaw D by rivets, or in any convenient manner, in such a position that it may cover the upper edge of the lining I, and to the jaw C in such a position that it may leave the packing G and the upper edge of the lining I uncovered, to be acted upon by the ridge H, as before described. This interior bag or lining has been omitted from the drawings to more clearly show the construction of the'other parts, there being nothing new in its construction or arrangement. l

J is a partition extending across the lower part of the bag A, as shown in Fig. l, forming a compartment or po'cket,.0, which is filled with cork shavings K to render the bag suiciently buoyant to sustain itself and its contents When in the water. rThis compartment or pocket may be lined with india-rubber, if desired, to prevent the water from coming in contact with the cork shavings. This latter construction I prefer.

L is a false bottom, hinged at one edge to the side of the frame B, and held closed by springs M or by any other suitable means. When open the bottom L is held in position by spring-catches N taking hold of notches on the bottom L, or the said bottom may be held open by jointed arms or by any other well-known meansfor accomplishing similar purposes. This bottom should be painted of some color that will render it easily (listinguishable upon the surface of the water; and it should also have painted or Vmarked. upon it words or letters showing what it is and to whom it belongs. This bottom-L is kept shut down except when the bag is about to be thrown into the water. It is then raised into the position shown in Fig. 3, and resffers the floating bag easily distinguishable and easily found.

By the use of mail and express bags constructed in this manner 'the matter contained therein may be preserved from loss, injury, or destruction from the cars upon which they are carried being accidentally precipitated into the water, or from throwing the bags into the water from shipboard should such a course become necessary, however long or however far said bags may float.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A iioating compartment or pocket, 0, in combination with the cover A, arranged' with the parts ot' a mail-bag herein described, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The hinged false bottom L, inA combination with the frame B, springs M, and catches N, when arrangedwith the parts of a floating bag herein described, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

JAMES M. JARRETT.

Witnesses: v

Mrs. JAMES HOLLAND, R. LIVINGSTON. 

